Game board and indicator therefor



Oct.26,1937. B. FRY 2,097 0 7 GAME BOARD AND INDICATOR THEREFOR Filed Aug. s, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheehl 06:16, 1937'. B. L. FRY 2,097,027 7 GAME BOARD AND INDICATOR THEREFOR Filed Aug. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATEfi PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to games of that general class shown and described in my co-pending application filed in the U. S. Patent Office on the 16th day of March, 1936, under Serial No. 69,239, the present invention being an improvement thereon.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved form of indicator and ratchet mechanism associated therewith whereby positively to insure the active end of the indicator stopping at approximately the center of one of the numeral bearing panels of the playing field after each spin of the indicator and thus obviate controversy or dispute between the players as to the winning number designated by the indicator which often occurs should said indicator happen to come to rest on a dividing line between adjacent numeral bearing panels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pawl and ratchet indicator controlling mechanism including a bell-shaped casing rotatable with the hub of the indicator and forming a housing for a ratchet wheel secured to the game board, there being a resilient pawl mounted on said casing and extending through an opening therein for engagement with the teeth of said ratchet wheel for controlling movement of the indicator and centering the active .end thereof within one of the numeral bearing panels when said indicator comes to rest.

A further object is to provide means for clamping the ratchet wheel to the game board without interfering with free movement of the indicator and means for permitting adjustment of said ratchet wheel when necessary to align the teeth thereof with the indicia bearing panels.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, efiiciency and durability.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game board provided with my improved pawl and ratchet indicator controlling mechanism.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail side elevation, partly in section, of the pawl and ratchet mechanism and its associated parts.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the indicator arm with the bell shaped housing attached thereto and ready to be positioned on the game board, the resilient pawl being shown removed from its seat in the casing.

The improved game comprises a fiat board 5 of any desired shape or contour and having its upper surface provided with a playing field 6 5 consisting of inner and outer concentric circles l and 8 divided by radial lines 9 to form intermediate panels H! and II. The playing field 6 and panels H3 and l l are provided with numerals and other indicia, arranged as shown and described in my co-pending application previously referred to and as said indicia forms no part of the present invention a detailed description thereof is deemed'unnecessary. Disposed at the center of the playing field is a revoluble indicator comprising a ratchet wheel l2 having spaced upstanding substantially V-shaped teeth I3 which are radially alined with the centers of the in dicia bearing panels Hi and II. The ratchet wheel i2 is provided at its center with an upstanding boss l4 and threaded in said boss is a bearing stud l5. The stud i5 is provided with spaced bearing surfaces It defining upper and lower stop shoulders I! and I8 and mounted for rotation on said bearing surfaces I6 is a hub l9 having lateral arms 28 threaded in or otherwise rigidly secured thereto and constituting the indicator proper. The free end of one of the arms Zll is bent downwardly at 2| to form a pointer while the free end of the other arm is provided with a circular enlargement 22 constituting a counter-weight or balance. Secured to and mounted for rotation with the hub I9 is a substantially bell-shaped casing 23 having a-depending flange 24 which serves to house and protect the ratchet wheel l2. The casing 23 is provided with an opening 25 and secured to the casing adjacent said opening by a screw or similar fastening device 26 is one end of a resilient pawl 21, the opposite end of which is bent downwardly and extends through the opening 25 for engagement with the ratchet teeth l3, said pawl being so arranged as to permit rotation of the indicator and casing in one direction but preventing movement thereof in the opposite direction, as will be readily understood.

The opposite ends of the stud iii are threaded, as indicated at 28, and engaging the threads on the upper end of the stud is a nut 29 bearing against a washer 39 which in turn bears against the adjacent shoulder ll. A nut 3| is secured to the lower threaded end of the stud It for the purpose of clamping the indicatorand its associated parts in position on the game board.

It will here be noted that, inasmuch as the ratchet wheel, casing and hub of the indicator are mounted on the stud [6, said parts may be secured to or removed from the game board as a unit and when said unit is positioned on the game board and the lower nut 3| tightened the ratchet wheel l2 will be held stationary while the casing and indicator proper is free to revolve. When attaching the indicator to the game board, the active end of the indicator is positioned at the center of one of the indicia bearing panels and the ratchet wheel locked against movement by tightening the nut 3|. Inasmuch as the teeth l3 are radially alined with the indicia bearing panels, it follows that the indicator will stop in the center of one of the indicia bearing panels after each rotation of said indicator and thus obviate controversy or disputes between players as to the winning number designated by the indicator, which often occurs should said indicator happen to come to rest on a dividing line between adjacent indicia bearing panels. Should the nut 3| become accidentally loose causing the ratchet wheel to partially turn and the indicator to stop on a dividing line, this defect may be readily remedied by adjusting the ratchet wheel until the active end of the indicator is directly over the center of any one of the panels and then tightening the nut 3|, as will be readily understood. While I have shown the indicator in connection with a game board having concentric rows of indicia bearing panels, it will, of course, be understood that the indicator may be used on playing fields having but a single row of numerals without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will, furthermore, be understood that the indicators may be made in different sizes and shapes and painted, japanned or otherwise coated .and ornamented to give them a neat and attractive appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A game of the class described comprising a playing field having a circular row of indicia bearing panels, an indicator mounted for rotation on said playing field, a ratchet wheel secured to the playing field, a casing movable with the indicator and housing the ratchet wheel, and a resilient pawl having one end thereof secured to the casing and its other end extending through an opening in said casing and engaging the ratchet wheel for centering the active end of the indicator within one of the indicia bearing panels after each rotation of said indicator.

2. A game of the class described comprising a playing field having concentric rows of indicia bearing panels, a stud projecting upwardly from the playing field, a hub mounted for rotation on the stud, an indicator carried by the hub, a ratchet wheel disposed beneath the hub and secured to the playing field, a casing secured to and mounted for rotation with the hub and having a depending flange extending around and housing the ratchet wheel, and a resilient pawl carried by the casing and extending through an opening therein and engaging the ratchet wheel for centering the active end of the indicator within one of the indicia bearing panels after each rotation of said indicator.

3. A game of the class described comprising a playing field having an annular row of characters represented thereon, an indicator mounted for rotation on said playing field, a ratchet wheel secured to the playing field, a casing movable with the indicator and housing the ratchet wheel, and a pawl movable with the indicator and having one end thereof extending through an opening in said casing and engaging the ratchet wheel for centering the active end of the indicator over one of said characters after each rotation of the indicator. 4. A game of the class described comprising a playing field having an annular row of characters represented thereon, an indicator mounted for rotation on said playing field, a ratchet wheel secured to the playing field, a casing movable with the indicator and spaced vertically from and housing said ratchet Wheel, and a pawl secured to the casing and having a depending portion engaging the ratchet Wheel for centering the active end of the indicator over one of said characters after each rotation of the indicator.

BENJAMIN L. FRY. 

